June 2008 Archives

Today's cuppa: Science experiment -- in the big mug, take one bag Barry's Classic Blend Irish tea, add one bag pomegranate-raspberry green tea, steep, taste. Not bad.

Strike in the SAG? The Screen Actors Guild contract runs out at midnight tonight. As of today, no new contract, but no call for a strike. For more info, click here or here.

Meanwhile, the TV cross-pollination between the British (and Irish) Isles and the U.S. continues ... as a rather one-sided affair. They send us reality, drama and comedy concepts -- and lots of lead actors -- we send them productions, like Showtime's "The Tudors" (created and written by Englishman Michael Hirst; shot in Ireland).

Sometimes it works out very well ("The Office"), sometimes not so much ("Coupling," "Cold Feet"), and sometimes the jury is still out ("Life on Mars").

One of the higher-profile disappointments was ABC's 1997 adaptation of the 1993-'96 Brit crime drama "Cracker," with Robert Pastorelli taking over from Scottish star Robbie Coltrane as Eddie "Fitz" Fitzgerald, a criminal psychologist who "cracks" crimes and suspects.

In his U.K. incarnation, Fitz was loud, loutish, hard-drinking, hard-smoking, misanthropic, sharp-tongued and utterly dismissive of authority -- all of which was forgiven because he was brilliant. The American Fitz, played by Robert Pastorelli (who looked the part, at least), was a much nicer guy, which managed to drain out most of the show's lifeblood.

Undaunted, TNT is giving it another go, with Robert Duvall and Robert Carliner's Butchers Run Films as executive producers for Granada America, the U.S. arm of the original U.K. producer.

Jason Horwich ("Medical Investigation") is writer and executive producer, leaving out the show's original creator, extravagantly talented and idiosyncratic British writer Jimmy McGovern.

There's also no word on who is playing Fitz.

For people with a reputation for afternoon tea, manners and stiff upper lips, the Brits are historically much more tolerant than American viewers of unlovable characteristics in their TV protagonists. But that may have changed. ABC's "Cracker" came before such beloved U.S. antiheroes as Tony Soprano in HBO's "The Sopranos," Vic Mackey in FX's "The Shield" and Tommy Gavin in FX's "Rescue Me."

So, it's just possible that Fitz could now let his freak flag fly. We shall see.

Also, AMC, basking in the big love for "Mad Men," today announced that it's adapting the late-1960s British series "The Prisoner" into a six-part miniseries, set to air in 2009.

The original -- which was pretty trippy even for the psychedelic Summer of Love that just preceded it -- starred its creator, Patrick McGoohan, as a British Cold War spy who tries to quit and is subsequently forcibly removed to an idyllic seaside "Village" (actually the Hotel Portmeirion in Wales).

There, he's trapped, stripped of his identity and dubbed Number Six. And a big, bouncing white ball prevents him from leaving. And there's a penny-farthing bicycle.

Oh, just get the DVDs.

Anyway, AMC has a star for its production, Jim Caviezel ("The Passion of the Christ"), who's playing Number Six. Ian McKellen (the "Lord of the Rings" and "X-Men" movie cycles) plays Number Two, administrator of The Village.

Also, AMC says that writer Bill Gallagher will update the original show's Cold War themes to something more suited to the 21st-century Age of Terror.

Asked by e-mail whether the 80-year-old McGoohan would make a cameo appearance, Theano Apostolou, AMC's vice-president, communications, replied, "One would hope ... I think you personally need to campaign him!"

Well, I don't know if McGoohan sips the Cuppa, but if he's out there, he can consider himself campaigned. And we'd be happy to treat him to a hot cuppa of whatever he likes if he finds himself in Los Angeles. We might even spring for scones and Devonshire cream.

Today's cuppa: Barry's Classic Blend Irish tea and maybe some Mystic Monk coffee later on (as it's Sunday).

Sometimes, like the Spanish Inquisition, a reality show sneaks up when a TV critic least expects it.

(If you're going "Spanish-whaaah?," you're obviously suffering from "Monty Python" deficiency. It's a serious condition, but fortunately, very treatable. For a quick pick-me-up, click on the link above, for a more lasting cure, get some DVDs or BBC America. Hot Cuppa TV -- saving the world from low "Python" levels, one dead parrot at a time. Yeah, that's another one.)

A few weeks ago, during a moment of mental abstraction, I allowed myself to watch an episode of Animal Planet's reality-competition show "Groomer Has It," which pits dog groomers against each other in search of a cash prize and a new mobile grooming van.

Only four groomers were left at the point that I entered: experienced New Yorkers Jonathan and Jorge; and two Californians, veteran Kathleen, from Escondido, and rookie Artist, from inner-city Los Angeles.

After that, I just kept watching.

I first heard about this show quite a while ago when Animal Planet called about doing a set visit, but it didn't work out at the time (apparently there's going to be a second season in 2009, so I'll have another chance).

BTW, in the interests of full disclosure, while I love dogs, I don't currently have one, and the last one I had was a smooth dachshund that didn't really need professional grooming (yes, I've cleaned ears, clipped nails and done other gross dog stuff that I won't go into here, but you dog owners know what I'm talking about). So I have no personal experience with going to a professional dog groomer.

That being said, last night was the big finale...

(IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED IT YET, STOP READING NOW. I GOT SPOILED DOING SOME INTERNET RESEARCH BEFORE I SAW IT ON DVR, AND I WANT TO SPARE YOU FROM MY FATE. WE NOW RETURN TO THE POST, ALREADY IN PROGRESS.)

...and to my joy, the charming young Artist won. He's cheerful, enthusiastic, a quick study, not arrogant or annoying (sadly, runner-up Jonathan could use some work in this area), and a dedicated dad -- and no doubt having the money and a spanking new van will change his life. And yeah, I got misty. It happened.

I've been trying to figure out why I kept watching "Groomer" once I stumbled upon it. Here are my theories:

Obviously, I love dogs. I'm also obsessed with Animal Planet's "Puppy Bowl." That's a given.

It may have been because the first episode I saw featured filthy, neglected shelter dogs, a challenge which really brought out the heart and character of each contestant.

It probably was because I'm just terminally curious and like to learn the ins-and-outs of unfamiliar professions (like crab fishing, ice-road trucking, logging, oil drilling, home remodeling, etc). After attending dog shows and watching them on TV, I knew something about the grooming requirements of different breeds (hand-stripping rough-coated terriers, for example), but there were lots of techniques and challenges to dog grooming that I heard about for the first time.

Lots of TV shows label themselves as "educational," but, for me, some of the most informative shows are ones that just set out to be entertaining, while slipping in a bit of learning as an organic part of the presentation (like, for example, "Antiques Roadshow" or "Top Gear").

Will I watch "Groomer Has It" next year? Very likely.

So, what show snuck up on you?

Today's cuppa: chai spiced black tea, office coffee.

On the scripted-show sets I've visited lately -- indeed, all the ones I've visited since the end of the WGA strike -- the talk has been about whether or not SAG (the Screen Actors Guild) would also walk out. The union's contract expires Monday, and near as I can tell, there is neither a new contract nor a call for a strike vote.

The New York Times says maybe.

Slate says no.

I say, I hope not.

Continuing the same position I had during the Writers Guild walkout, I don't take sides in labor disputes to which I'm not a party. In this situation, I confine my concerns to the collateral damage -- the crews and office staffs and caterers and truck drivers and all the other employees and ancillary businesses that already took a body blow over the three-month WGA shutdown.

After sitting on more sets than I care to count, my respect for crews has no bounds, and they're just as important to the production process as studio executives, writers, directors and actors.

The way everyone does business in the media -- and that includes my business -- has changed, is changing and continues to change, whether we like it or not. There have been and will be casualties, and right now, I'm not sure anyone really knows how many and exactly who they'll be when it all shakes out.

And I'm not just talking about the effects of new media, the Internet and all that stuff.

Entertainment isn't like food or fuel or medical care or a roof over one's head or clothing on one's back. Movies and television (especially cable and premium channels) are luxury goods, ones people will give up if their budgets get squeezed hard enough.

There was just a story yesterday about Salt Lake City preteen sisters protesting the high gas prices that forced their parents to cancel their cable-TV subscription -- which included daily doses of "Hannah Montana."

Here's to hoping that everyone involved in the business remembers that and never takes their ultimate bosses -- the audience members -- for granted.

As a huge fan of Discovery's "Dirty Jobs," I'm happy to report that its witty, long-suffering host, Mike Rowe, will be on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" tonight, at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. (Eastern) -- that's 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. for my fellow Left Coasters.

Grab a cuppa and tune in (but be careful, Rowe's a laugh-out-loud sort of guy, so time the sips carefully).

Today's cuppa: Decaf British blend tea (for breakfast, no less, as I wasn't paying attention), two cups of "Mad Men" set coffee (just in time!)

Most of today was devoted to visiting the downtown Los Angeles set of AMC's critical fave "Mad Men," where I arrived on time despite three wrong turns and nearly getting back on the 110 Freeway right after exiting it.

But you don't care about my problems, you care about "Mad Men."

Or, at least some of you care, since the sheer tonnage of critical love for the show probably still outweighs the collective poundage of the actual audience. But AMC was happy enough to bring "Mad Men" back for a second season, starting July 27 (when my story will run in syndication).

Once fully caffeinated, I kicked off my day by sitting down with Robert Morse, who plays the head of the early-'60s Manhattan ad agency at the center of the show. A Tony winner in 1961 for his starring role as New York ad man Finch in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" (which he reprised on film in 1967), his casting is not only clever but downright inevitable.

During our talk, another actor stopped by to greet Morse and started telling him about a play he's doing in Burbank. Morse peppered him with insider questions, every inch the stage veteran. On top of that, Morse was funny, charming and full of great stories.

It just reinforced my belief that every drama could benefit from the presence of a showbiz veteran, whether, for example, it's Morse or David McCallum on "NCIS." They raise the game of the youngsters (something "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm, no wet-behind-the-ears rookie himself, readily admitted) and provide a living template for career longevity.

After Morse, I talked to more cast regulars then headed out with the cast and crew to lunch, which included some mighty tasty beef. After lunch, there was Turkish coffee, which reminded me of a set lunch I once shared with playwright David Mamet during the first-season finale of his CBS show "The Unit."

According to Hamm, who plays the enigmatic ad man Don Draper, and who did five episodes of "The Unit," this is no coincidence but the result of a shared caterer. It's a small, small TV world.

Speaking of which, "Mad Men" shoots at the same studio complex as CBS' "Numb3rs," on which Hamm had a guest role. He also appeared on "The Sarah Silverman Program," the cast for which was lunching today right next to us.

And Silverman, who dropped by to say hello, is apparently dating Jimmy Kimmel, whom I mentioned here just yesterday because I got an airdate for Guillermo's appearance on "Wipeout," which I watched being filmed.

I'd invoke Kevin Bacon, but since I just saw his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, on the set of "The Closer" on Tuesday, I'd better stop now.

On an unrelated note, I was excited to see NBC's "Celebrity Circus" after visiting the training facility for a story, but the final product was both cool and disappointing. Cool because the celebs -- especially the amazing Stacey Dash, the Herculean Antonio Sabato Jr., spunky Wee Man and gutsy Christopher Knight -- are doing better than I expected and are great fun to watch.

But judge Louie Spence gave me the wiggins the first week, with suggestive and inappropriate comments to celebs of both genders. The second week, he was better, but this week, a disagreement with a fellow judge caused him to flip out -- and actually do a flip (he is a choreographer with a background in dance and gymnastics).

"CC" is no "Dancing With the Stars," that's for sure, but I appreciate the celebs' hard work and will keep tuning in for them. And as long as Spence keeps it clean, I can handle a somersault now and again.

Today's cuppa: fast-food coffee (no milk for morning tea), coffeeshop English breakfast tea (in the afternoon), topped off with evening decaf tea (remembered to get the milk).

First up, a little business.

In mid-May, I spent a long, strange night at the Canyon Country, Calif., location for ABC's new hit game show "Wipeout" to watch parking-lot guard Guillermo Diaz from "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" attempt to take on the Wipeout Zone -- and wrote a story about it. Despite original plans for the bit to air on "Kimmel" the week before the show's premiere on Tuesday, June 24, I'm now told it actually airs on Friday the 27th. I hope it's as funny on TV as it was on location.

And now, a few thoughts about the real-world effects of reality TV.

Years ago, I met reality producer Thom Beers ("Deadliest Catch," "Ax Men," "Ice Road Truckers," etc.) on location for his Discovery Channel show "Monster House," at a San Fernando Valley tract home being remodeled to look like a Chicago-mobster hangout. Since Beers didn't have a globe-trotting budget for this show, all the houses "monsterized" were located somewhere in the greater Los Angeles area.

In the course of the day -- during which I noticed that host Steve Watson was leaning on a two-by-four that was the sole support of an entire roof, prompting a safety meeting -- I learned that some "Monster House" alumni had formed a social group and would attend get-togethers at each other's wildly remodeled residences.

This is not a unique phenomenon.

If I went to a "Survivor" season-finale party, I would see alumni from earlier seasons, later on joined by former contestants from "The Apprentice." "Apprentice" finales would feature earlier "Apprentices," "Survivors" and "Contenders," and "Rock Star: INXS" and "Rock Star: Supernova" tapings could include any of the above, in various configurations, all from the universe of Mark Burnett reality shows.

Like "Monster House," most people featured on Style's clutter-busting "Clean House" live somewhere in the vicinity of L.A. At one "Clean House" garage sale, two families from earlier episodes stopped by (and, yes, host Niecy Nash chided them for being supposedly reformed packrats who appeared to be willing to buy another packrat's discarded junk).

While I was at "Amazing Race" HQ last Friday, creator Bertram Van Munster said that former teams from the show have stayed in touch with each other.

I wouldn't be surprised if this happens to people who were on "The Bachelor," "Big Brother," "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?", "Hell's Kitchen," "Top Chef," "Project Runway" and on and on.

These shows are creating an entire subculture of men and women who might never have crossed paths had they not been thrown together in the superheated confines of a reality show, forming bonds that only people who've been through similar experiences could truly understand (or, indeed, would want to).

Friendships have formed (and more than a few lifelong enmities, no doubt), people have probably dated or married, children could be born if they haven't been already ... in five, 10, 20 years, who knows what will become of the unplanned social cross-currents of reality television?

I don't know, but it sounds like a reality show to me..

Today's cuppa: Barry's Classic Blend Irish tea, on-set vanilla frappucino (thanks to the good folks at "Raising the Bar").

Spent most of the day on the bus with a fair-sized group of journalists touring three sets of current or upcoming TNT dramas. Once I dig into the material, I may post some interview excerpts down the line -- but not from "Raising the Bar," that will have to wait until I put together my syndicated feature story -- but here are some tidbits off the top of my head.

First, we headed to the northern San Fernando Valley to visit "Raising the Bar" and "Saving Grace," which shoot on small lots not far from each other. "Raising" is the new legal drama from Steven Bochco and former public defender turned author ("Indefensible: One Lawyer's Journey Into the Inferno of American Justice") David Feige.

The show is primarily from the P.D.s' point of view, but since Bochco knows that, "Perry Mason" notwithstanding, TV viewers generally prefer prosecutors to defense attorneys (also something TNT, the "Law & Order" network, is counting on), there are representatives from both sides of the courtroom aisle.

We screened a trailer for the pilot on the bus, and the sight of star Mark-Paul Gosselaar with long brown hair was a surprise. It looks even better in person, and he was, as always, polite and well-spoken, even leading a brief tour into the show's New York courtroom set. The full cast was on hand, including J. August Richards, an old pal from The WB's vampire drama "Angel."

Richards and I took a few minutes to reminisce about the good old days on the main "Angel" set at Paramount's Stage 5, down the row from "Star Trek: Enterprise" (nothing like vampires, demons and aliens all wandering around together) and the ongoing Scrabble tournament run by the show's dedicated "Scrabblelistas."

Over at "Saving Grace," we settled in to talk to star Holly Hunter and co-star Kenneth Johnson (known as "Lemonhead" to fans of "The Shield") in the exuberantly decorated set for the house belonging to Hunter's character, hard-living Oklahoma City detective Grace Hanadarko, who has her own personal angel, a scruffy fellow named Earl (Leon Rippy). My favorite bit of decor was the Western horse figurine standing on the fireplace right next to a Japanese robot.

We then headed to the characters' regular bar to talk to Rippy and Laura San Giacomo, who plays a medical examiner. Fans of "Deadwood" may remember Rippy as Tom Nuttall, who owned the bar where Wild Bill Hickock (Keith Carradine) was murdered.

As probably happens with fans of the show, our conversation wandered into areas of faith and science and the intersection of the two. Both actors were thoughtful and candid -- as, indeed, were all the cast members. It's a bright bunch of folks, and all the cast emphasized that Hunter and show creator Nancy Miller foster an atmosphere of collaboration.

The rest of the interviews took place in the set for the Oklahoma City police department, which cast member Gregory Cruz said was actually nicer than the real thing. He also took a moment to show me the small souvenir he has from his visit to the memorial to the bombing at the Murrah Federal Building -- a clear cube containing an image of the Survivor Tree, an American elm that bears witness to the domestic terrorism act of April 9, 1995.

We then hopped back on the bus to return to Hollywood to sit down with the cast of "The Closer," which stars Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Johnson, a sweet-toothed Southern cop whose crime-fighting acumen and interrogation skills have brought her to the position of deputy chief with the Los Angeles Police Department. Although Johnson is spending this season trying to rein in her love of sugary snacks, Sedgwick interspersed her comments with bites of strawberries dipped in chocolate.

And, by the way, if you've never seen "Closer" cast member Anthony Denison, who plays Detective Andy Flynn, in his starring role in the late '80s cops-and-mobsters saga "Crime Story," treat yourself and get the DVD box set.

He plays cocky early '60s gangster Ray Luca, who's locked in a battle to the death with tough Chicago cop Mike Torello (Dennis Farina). In season two, the action shifted from the Windy City to Las Vegas, where Luca eventually runs afoul of a nuclear bomb. If you think Tony Soprano was tough, you've never seen Ray Luca go up against the power of the atom.

Before we left, producer Andy Sacks led a tour of the main sets, including a scuffed, cramped, distinctly unglamorous representation of LAPD HQ at Parker Center in downtown Los Angeles that Sacks says is very true to life. "CSI Miami," it's not. And yes, Brenda's desk drawer is still full of candy, although she's gone a bit upscale with lots of Ghirardelli chocolate.

Slightly less realistic was the set for the rented duplex Brenda shares with her FBI agent boyfriend (Jon Tenney). Even a deputy chief would have trouble affording that much square footage, which includes a huge kitchen and bathroom. According to Sacks, it's more about providing room for cameras and crew than giving an honest view of Los Angeles real estate.

Next up on the docket is a visit to the set of "Mad Men," AMC's sleek saga of early '60s ad execs. And summer used to be such a quiet time...

Today's cuppa: Barry's Classic Blend Irish tea, office coffee.

It was a busy few days in the Cuppa-verse, as I tried to keep cool in a Los Angeles heat wave (which would be way more wave-y if I lived in the San Fernando Valley community of Woodland Hills, which hit a don't-touch-the-dashboard 113 degrees).

In pursuit of behind-the-scenes goodies for the faithful readers (boy, I hope I have some) of my syndicated feature stories, I hit the road.

The top half of Friday was spent at the offices -- located strategically close to LAX -- of Bertram Van Munster and Elise Doganieri, the married creators and producers of CBS' "The Amazing Race."

Currently, they've got the 13th cycle in post-production and are in pre-planning on the 14th. They're also in production on two fronts, as Doganieri is, let's see, 11, 10, 9...8 days away from the due date on her daughter.

As, I was told, the first reporter allowed into the inner confines of "Race" HQ, I'll save most of the deets for my upcoming story, but I can say that the visit was informative and charming, the cuppa coffee was quite good, and there was a very large moose.

Van Munster and Doganieri rank among the smartest and nicest folks I've met in the TV biz, and they're ferociously competent. Just imagine what it takes to send teams of contestants, trailed by cameramen and producers, along with support staff, on a breakneck journey around the world.

One thing's for sure, the next time I travel internationally, these are the folks I'd want telling me what to pack and what not to eat.

Saturday morning, at the behest of Discovery Channel and its annual "Shark Week" programming event, beginning this year on July 27 (the week my story will come out), I got up early to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, a port city south of Los Angeles.

I'm normally allergic to theme parks, but I do love aquariums, and this was quite a nice one. Shark expert Steve Blair led us on a before-hours tour of the aquarium's hidden passageways and support areas, topped off by a pancake brunch and a trip to the sea-otter exhibit. Love me some sea otters!

I'm off tomorrow on a TNT-sponsored tour of some of their upcoming shows, including the Steven Bochco legal drama "Raising the Bar." Again, I'm getting up early, but this time to drive to Hollywood -- with no hope of sea otters.

Well, you can't have everything.

About This Blog: A Los Angeles-based entertainment journalist comments on the world over the rim of her cup. The chief topic is television (broadcast, cable, DVD, VOD, on your phone, on your laptop...), including the industry and people that produce it, the places it's produced, and what's in the tea leaves for its future. Anyone can pull up a seat and pour themselves a cuppa, but good table manners are a prerequisite, so all nasty and/or rude commenters will be A: laughed at, B: briefly pitied, and C: resolutely ignored.

About the Author: Kate O'Hare loves to talk about TV, preferably over a nice, steaming cuppa (it could be coffee or tea, and when she says tea, she means made from tiny little tea leaves, not twigs, berries or grass. OK, there can be some mint. And the tea can be green ... but that's it). Born and bred in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State, she now lives and writes about the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, the natural habitat of TV, but occasionally makes field trips to observe TV production in far distant lands (like Vancouver or Encino). Twitter URL: twitter.com/KateOH

Kate also blogs about technology, ecology, journalism and all other isms at The Accidental Futurist.

Come on in, take a seat, pour yourself a cup. We're talking TV and everything that has to do with TV (which, here in lovely Los Angeles, is nearly everything). But no matter how crazy the TV universe gets, there's always time for a cuppa and a chat.